Longwear Makeup for Music Festivals

There are three important lessons I learned at my first Coachella. 1. Beyoncé is truly the greatest entertainer of all time (not that I had any doubts). 2. Forget what looks good on the ‘gram—only wear comfortable shoes! 3. Longwear makeup is your best friend. That last one is what I’m here to enlighten you about because, whether or not you’ll be participating in summer’s string of music festivals, there will be a point in your life when you do not want to worry about touch-ups, reapplying, or smudgy mascara eyes for 12+ hours. And, after partying, sweating, and dancing for three days in the desert, I’ve found products that really work. Shall we?

Verdict: Indio, California, where the festival takes place, is damn hot. There’s no way around it. One of my biggest concerns was wanting to wear makeup that was full-coverage but felt lightweight and, most importantly, didn’t slide off my face when I schvitzed. This genius formula checks all the boxes. It’s meant to last 24 hours—I planned to be out 18 hours on Day 1—and did not budge one bit throughout said day. My points of insecurity, like redness, chin zits, acne scarring, were all well disguised.

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The Eyeliner That Lasted Through Beyoncé Tears

Product: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($20)

Worn: Day 2

Verdict: On Beyoncé Day, I knew I’d need some heavy duty liner. She’s my favorite singer/woman/everything and I just knew I’d burst into tears at some point during her performance. It ended up happening during “I Care.” I was watching her alone—I couldn’t find my friends after separating because desert cell service is unreliable—so when Bey was all, “Now I’m crying and deserted baby, but you don’t caaaaare,” I started sobbing. Dramatic, I know. But! This Urban Decay eyeliner kept my eyes perfectly smoky-looking through it all. Priorities.

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The Brow Marker Even Better Than Microblading

Product: Flower Beauty Brow Vixen Tattoo Effect Stain ($10)

Worn: Day 1, Day 2

Verdict: Brows are arguably the most important feature on my face—I look like a ghost without them. I usually use a brow pencil, but that can easily be rubbed off. I decided to try Flower Beauty’s brand new brow “stain” to see whether or not it’d hold up better. Spoiler alert: IT DID! I applied it 8 A.M one day and didn’t have to touch or think about it until I washed it off at 2A.M. (the next day). Even as someone who’s tried every brow product—including microblading, which faded on me after two weeks—this product seriously impressed me.

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The Lipstick I Only Reapplied Once

Product: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick ($14)

Worn: Day 1

Verdict: I might have been the only Coachella-goer equally as excited about the food truck lineup as the music lineup. I planned to eat a lot—dancing needs sustenance, y’all! If I planned to chow down on burgers and tacos and ice cream, however, I’d need a lipstick that could keep up. This creamy formula dried down matte and only needed one reapplication throughout my 18-hour, three-meals, many-snacks day. That being said, I did suffer from a bit of dryness from the long-lasting formula—I just supplemented with good ‘ol Chapstick.

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The Body Glitter That Made Me a Unicorn Convert

Product: Tarte Mermaid Glitter Gel ($18)

Worn: Day 1, Day 3

Verdict: While I am no fan of the unicorn/mermaid trend that took over the beauty industry over the past year, Coachella is an oasis where the rules do not apply and people try things they wouldn’t IRL. Some go for drugs, I went for body glitter. I applied this Tarte gel all over my cheekbones and my cleavage when I wore low-cut tops. Leaning into the stereotypical “Coachella” beauty look made me feel like a more fun, carefree, silly version of myself and it was liberating. I especially loved that no messy loose glitter was involved and that the sparkles really stuck on—like, I’m still finding glitter on my body a week later.

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The Lip Stain That Quenched My Desert-Dry Lips

Product: Dior Addict Lacquer Plump ($37)

Worn: Day 2

Verdict: The red lip has become a signature of mine and I fully intended to bring it with me to the West Coast. After wearing a long-lasting matte lipstick that left my pout a little thirsty the day before, I wanted a more hydrating formula. This Dior stain was as nourishing as a lip balm with the color payoff of a lipstick. It’s meant to last eight hours, and there was definitely a tint on my lips for the entire duration but I reapplied a couple times to get that bright red pigment I love.

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The Concealer as Good as Spackling Paste

Product: Sephora Collection Make No Mistake High Coverage Concealer ($14)

Worn: All the Days

Verdict: Anticipating extremely late nights, eating heaps of junk and fried food, and ample alcohol consumption, I landed in Palm Springs knowing I was signing up for a major breakout. But, the fun would be worth it. When the red, cystic bumps did inevitably appear on the morning of Day 2, this extremely full-coverage, thick concealer immediately saved me from splotchy uneven skin. It also required no touch-ups throughout the day—once it sets, it sets.

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The Cream Blush That Made Me Look Alive Again

Product: Glossier Cloud Paint in Puff ($18)

Worn: Day 1, Day 3

Verdict: While this lightweight blush doesn’t claim to be longwear, it certainly did the trick. Its buildable cream formula made it sink and stick to the skin in a way that powder blushes don’t. When my nights extended to mornings and I was running on three hours of sleep, this pink tint brought life back to my face.

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The Liquid Liner That Stayed On For 17 Hours

Product: Marc Jacobs Beauty Magic Marc’er Precision Pen ($30)

Worn: Day 3

Verdict: Celebrity makeup artist Sarah Tanno (responsible for Lady Gaga’s most iconic lewks) once told me that if I put this liner on, I’d never get it off. It lived up to its reputation, looking as sharp from 9A.M. when I first applied it all the way through 5A.M. the next day when I landed back home in New York on a red eye. (Yes, I forgot to wash my face. Don’t judge).

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The Lipstick That Made Me Like Metallics

Product: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick ($14)

Worn: Day 3

Verdict: Metallic makeup was something was reserved for holidays and parties—not daytime. Because I wanted to go all-out for the last day of Coachella (glitter on my face and all), I took the plunge and picked this rose gold from Sephora Collection’s newest launches. It was surprisingly wearable in broad daylight and didn’t feel too flashy. It was honestly more like an amped up “nude” lip.

Verdict: Urban Decay’s All-Nighter setting spray is no new kid on the block. Ask any beauty vlogger and they’ll tell you a few spritzes of this bottle will make your look last through the apocalypse. After forgetting to apply it on the first day (which still turned out okay!), I made sure to finish off my next days’ looks with All-Nighter for extra security. It worked.

Verdict: I never use a pencil liner to draw my signature cateye. I find them difficult to maneuver, but I also find that liquid formulas tend to fade halfway into the day. This one, however, did not budge one bit from 8A.M. to 2A.M.—well beyond its 12-hour promise. I went the whole day without smudges forming under my eyes, which says a lot considering my very oily skin type and sweat from the heat (and dancing!)